Democratic Republic of Congo (formerly Zaire)
Kuba

Wood and fiber
ca. Mid-20th century
Length: 11.5 inches
Aerophone – Edge-blown – Flute/Whistle

Kuba (also called Bakuba) people are agriculturalist and a group the of Bushong-speaking ethnic people of the Bantu ethnicity living in the southeastern Democratic Republic of Congo between the Kasai and Sankuru rivers east of their confluence. Modern Cubism, which derived its name from the word, “Kuba,” was highly influenced by Kuba arts, eluded to in works by Cubist master artists including Picasso and Matisse. This field collected flute/whistle shows geometric designs in low relief carving.